‘You start from nothing, and then you grow’ – Clentec Ltd Founder and CEO

Clentec Ltd has decades of experience in the cleaning industry. As one of Malta’s leading cleaning companies, Clentec prides itself on its wide range of residential and commercial services, provided with excellence, reliability and competitive pricing. With Founder and CEO Simon Jesmond Turner at the helm, the company has navigated the challenges of a global pandemic to adapt and grow, while keeping to its motto of “doing it right the first time, every time”.

When asked for the key to success as a leading cleaning company in Malta, Clentec Ltd CEO Simon Jesmond Turner replies with one word: relationships. In fact, building relationships with, and constantly learning from, employees, clients and family provides the soul for a typical day in his life – and is an ethos that has fuelled his entire career to date.

“Early on, I knew I wanted to establish myself in this career and sector,” he shares. “I began by working in as many different industries as I could, to see how others do things, to form ideas and absorb their knowledge. I have always believed in a hands-on approach first, ideally alongside those with more experience, and then implementation later. This approach leads to fewer mistakes, plus you can move with the times both career-wise and industry-wise. You start from nothing, and then you grow.”

Much like Simon’s own career, Clentec’s history also reflects this philosophy, having grown from the ground up and rising to the top of the industry over two decades. Although founded in late 2009, Simon officially launched the company in early 2001, initially providing cleaning and housekeeping services. Proudly celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021, Clentec has gone from strength to strength, expanding its range of services while staying, at its heart, a family-run business.

Indeed, the CEO points to Clentec’s employees as the lifeblood of the organisation. He understands that, while they sustain the family business, Clentec in turn helps them to build and support their own families. “Working in our sector as a cleaner can bring both satisfaction because of a job well done, as well as the means to build a future,” he says. “In 20 years, our company has been through many phases, with employees leaving and returning. Our door is always open, whenever employees might wish to pursue other opportunities, such as studying or working in other sectors. The job at Clentec is always there for them to return to. Some have been with us from the start, with children now the same age as the company. They have built their entire future with us.”

Simon insists that his role is that of team leader rather than boss. “The most important aspect of any business is its employees. After all, they’re the ones interacting with clients and providing our services, so a CEO’s top priority is to ensure they are happy, well-paid and successful. I regularly meet with every Clentec department, and I love spending time with our employees, listening to their ideas, seeing their work, helping them improve, encouraging them and watching them grow. That’s always my best day at work,” he smiles.

Choosing to work with Clentec as a professional cleaner also affords advantages over self-employment, Simon continues. “Employees enjoy a reliable wage, regular clients and a well-organised team that can cover sick and vacation leave as necessary. Clentec offers them reliability, security and professionalism, so they can enjoy the perks of the job without the stresses of self-employment.”

Attention to detail, pride in excellent service and dedication to customer satisfaction are core values at Clentec. Indeed, Simon explains, the company has embodied its motto of “doing it right the first time, every time,” throughout its 20 years. “We have built our reputation through credibility. Nothing less,” he affirms. “Our clients expect the greatest service on the island, which means quality, reliability, punctuality and the fact they can build a relationship with our employees, all at a competitive rate. Today, we still deliver a bespoke service that is second to none as one of the most experienced, locally established cleaning companies in Malta.”

As such, Clentec makes life significantly easier for clients when it comes to the logistics of cleaning services. The company handles all the burdens associated with hiring cleaning staff directly, such as national insurance, tax, vacation leave, sick leave and bonuses, while providing round-the-clock support and trained personnel to solve any issues as quickly and efficiently as possible. Both residential and commercial clients can select from a vast list of cleaning services, tailored to their individual requirements.

Meanwhile, the company’s in-house training academy ensures that team members not only uphold Clentec’s high service standards, but also that they are knowledgeable regarding the latest sanitary compliance requirements – especially critical, as Malta faced the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Clentec’s cleaning course offers extra peace of mind for clients and employees. We train new recruits for the first 40 hours, after which we match them with a more experienced employee as a mentor and, eventually, a team. Only when they have the credibility and confidence to work alone, do we send them on individual cleaning assignments,” Simon highlights. “The academy was also essential to train employees on the latest sanitisation tools and methods, as required by COVID-19 guidelines. They learnt how to fight the virus, as well as how to keep themselves and their teams safe while doing so. Cleaning staff were frontliners, so it was a challenge, but one I am proud to say we overcame while helping the community. I count this as a great achievement.”

While the pandemic and its aftermath brought challenges, this difficult time also signalled more opportunities for growth at Clentec. “2022 was not an easy year, between the pandemic and the rising cost of living, but it taught us to adapt,” he shares. “It was the year in which we recognised the need to diversify our services, improve those we have and implement changes within the company. Diversification is key – not just in the business, but also in employees’ knowledge transfer from one department to another, so that they become more adaptable and able to take on other roles and opportunities in the sector.”

With Clentec’s diversification and expansion set to continue through 2023, Simon prepares to face the industry’s growing demand for employees by ensuring Clentec’s existing team is well-trained, motivated and comfortable in the company’s newly expanded premises.

And while he acknowledges the prospect of new technology on the cleaning sector’s horizon, Simon looks to the future with the same signature family values that have made Clentec Malta’s go-to cleaning services provider. “We’re seeing an increase in AI and automation in every industry worldwide, and I believe robotic cleaning will arrive in Malta between 2023 and 2030. Nevertheless, the change from human to robot will not be instantaneous – and depending on how the technology evolves, humans will still need to operate the machine,” he predicts.

“But first, our drive at Clentec for 2023 remains focused on family, both in terms of succession planning to prepare my son Dean and daughter Naomi to one day take the reins, and for our wider Clentec family of employees. It is going to be a great year, which will bear good fruit for 2024, 2025 and another 20 years to come.”

This article is part of the serialisation of 50 interviews featured in MaltaCEOs 2023 – the sister brand to MaltaCEOs.mt and an annual high-end publication bringing together some of the country’s most influential business leaders